Vampires (1998)

Recovering from an ambush that killed his entire team, a vengeful vampire slayer must retrieve an ancient Catholic relic that, should it be acquired by vampires, will allow them to walk in sunlight.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Steakley (novel), Don Jakoby (screenplay)

Stars:

James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee

7 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Woods	...	Jack Crow
Daniel Baldwin	...	Anthony Montoya
Sheryl Lee	...	Katrina
Thomas Ian Griffith	...	Jan Valek
Maximilian Schell	...	Cardinal Alba
Tim Guinee	...	Father Adam Guiteau
Mark Boone Junior	...	Catlin
Gregory Sierra	...	Father Giovanni
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	David Deyo
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	Ortega (as Thomas Rosales)
Henry Kingi	...	Anthony
David Rowden	...	Bambi
Clarke Coleman	...	Davis
Mark Sivertsen	...	Highway Patrolman
John Furlong	...	Father Joseph Molina

Storyline

The church has long known that vampires exist. However, it is discovered that a group of vampires are searching for a powerful doom for mankind. The Vatican then secretly enlists a team of vampire-hunters, led by Jack Crow, to hunt down and destroy the vampires before they find the crucifix.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | vampire hunter | vampire slayer | female frontal nudity | topless female nudity | 

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Taglines:

The final confrontation between good and evil has begun.

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong vampire violence and gore, language and sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Italian censorship visa # 92923 delivered on 30 September 1998.

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Goofs

When an arrow is shot in to a cross on to which Jack is tied, Jack is holding his head on the opposite side from what was shown in previous shot.

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Quotes

Montoya: [trying to figure out how much the hotel costs] What's the fucking total, guy?
Motel Owner: Erm... that's erm... $400.
[looks out window in the pickup]
Motel Owner: Is that your girlfriend?
Montoya: No, it's my fuckin' mother. Gimme the key.

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Alternate Versions

Screenwriter Dan Mazur's name appears only on European prints. The film was released in Europe first, with Mazur's name in the credits, but was removed before the USA premiere.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Memo to the Academy - 1999 (1999)

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Soundtracks

Padre's Wood
Written by Brad Wilson
Performed by Stone

User Reviews

Strangely appealing

Ever since I saw a documentary on the making of horror movie special effects, I've wanted to see 'Vampires'. I wasn't disappointed. In this era of cheap computer effects it's really refreshing to see a movie where the special effects are done the old fashioned way. For some bizarre reason I really like Vampires. The plot is somewhat clichéd, the acting is nothing special and yet... I find myself watching this movie over and over again. Somehow the idea of a secret military force funded by the church, dedicated to fighting vampires is thrilling even though I'm not a religious man. I suppose it harkens back to the day of witch hunters. James Woods is great as the grim, dedicated man sworn to destroy all vampires and as the true shocker, the generic Baldwin appearing in the movie does a really good job as well! If you like gory movies, check it out!

Details

Country:

Japan USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

30 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vampire$

Filming Locations:

Historic Plaza Hotel - 230 Plaza Park, Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,106,497, 1 November 1998

Gross USA:

$20,308,772

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,308,772

Company Credits

Production Co:

Largo Entertainment, JVC Entertainment Networks, Storm King Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (uncredited) DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1